Tempus Fugit
Posted on Sun Mar 1st, 2026 @ 3:36pm by Captain Thorrin & Commander Marisa Sandoval & Lieutenant Commander Tarian Aloria & Lieutenant Sivek & Lieutenant C'Mila Juli & Lieutenant Addison Talbert & Lieutenant Junior Grade M'Ressa & Lieutenant Junior Grade Wyatt Spencer & Major Hastios Eilfaren
Edited on on Sun Mar 1st, 2026 @ 3:41pm
3,566 words; about a 18 minute read
Mission:
In The Nick Of Time
Location: Bridge - Deck 1 - USS Herodotus
Timeline: MD005 0600 hrs
Thorrin walked out of his Ready Room and was not only in awe, but he was slightly amazed and happy. It was a pleasure to see this ship abuzz with a competent and excited crew. They had the crew, and they had the mission. Now, it was time to see if they had what it took, as the saying went. As soon as he stepped onto the bridge, the officer of the watch stood up; she was a Vulcan and sat at the Temporal Operations station. "Captain on the bridge." Thorrin took his seat and opened a comm channel. "Senior Officers to the Bridge," he called. The bridge officers on duty made preparations to depart their stations.
The turbolift doors opened, and Sivek stepped onto the bridge first.
He didn't hurry. He never hurried. He simply glided in a way that was in sync with both gravity and space. Following the curve of the railing that surrounded the pit, he followed its circumference until arriving at his own station to the left of the command chair.
Captain Thorrin was already seated, and Sivek inclined his head once in a curt manner. He acknowledged the rank and Thorrin's command.
At his station, he glanced at the various readouts--warp field geometry, power distribution nodes, temporal core containment, chroniton flux tolerances. They were all under control--for now.
"Computer," he said, "transfer primary engineering control to Bridge."
[Unable to comply. Security clearance required for remote transfer.]
Sivek didn't frown, because Vulcans didn't frown. He knew he could contact Main Engineering and simply request one of the staff to manually transfer control.
From the command chair, Thorrin heard the exchange between Sivek and the computer. One did not have to be a Vulcan to see the logic in giving Sivek limited access. If he was expected to be the Chief Engineer, he was going to have to be able to function as such. "Computer. Grant Lieutenant Sivek level two data access clearance and level four security clearance. Authorization Thorrin-alpha-one-nine." The computer processed the request and replied. "Access grades confirmed."
Thorrin looked in Sivek's direction. "There now. I cannot expect you to do your duty without the proper tools."
Sivek had turned while the Captain granted clearance and fixed him with a curt nod before returning his station. Within seconds, control had been established at his fingertips.
The turbolift doors parted again, and Hastios stepped onto the bridge, broad shoulders filling the threshold for a heartbeat before he moved forward. He didn’t pause to take in the spectacle of it — the rising hum of systems, the quiet tension that accompanied Black Alert — but he felt it. It settled into him the way gravity does: constant, grounding.
As he crossed the deck, his boots struck the floor in measured cadence. “Captain,” he acknowledged, voice level as he passed behind the command chair. It wasn’t loud, but it carried.
He moved down toward the forward port station, taking his position without fuss. The console came alive under his touch, tactical overlays unfolding in disciplined layers — perimeter fields, defensive matrices, internal security status, emergency response routing.
“Security standing by,” he reported, eyes scanning the readouts as he keyed in his clearance. “All decks green. Reaction teams are posted at designated lockdown points. Tactical grid synced to temporal alert protocols.”
He adjusted one final setting, locking in internal containment parameters in the event of spatial or chroniton fluctuation.
Hastios rested one hand lightly on the edge of the console, posture steady, gaze forward. The bridge lighting seemed sharper under Black Alert, shadows thinner.
“Ready when you are, Captain.”
Sivek had punched-up every morsel of information he could. After verifying everything, he spoke. "Engineering reporting all systems nominal and ready," he said, his voice calm under the dimmed lighting.
The next to arrive was Tarian, and he knew that things were starting to heat up when the senior staff was called to duty this early in the morning. He relieved the Vulcan officer who was watching over temporal operations, inputting some commands to the station. Tarian wanted to make sure that everything was good before they had to do anything like a time jump. Once everything was ready, he looked back at Captain Thorrin and said, "Temporal Operations is ready to go, Captain. We should be ready to time jump whenever you're ready. Temporal core engaged and ready."
Marisa walked calmly onto the bridge, her eyes quickly taking in the alert status and the personnel already in place. They rested for several beats on Hastios, then she nodded to the captain. "Good morning," she said as a general greeting. She logged in to her station and checked for any new reports. When she was satisfied that everything was good to go, she looked over to the captain and waited for orders.
When the turbolift doors opened for Lieutenant Juli, she didn't bother hiding the fact that she was in a rush to get to her station. She quickly scurried into her spot and activated her terminal before tucking the loose strands of hair back into her loose bun. Without trying to be too obvious, she stole a quick glance around the Bridge to gauge whether she had missed much.
The fact that the ship was getting ready to fly into the timestream, extremely interested Addison. She wanted to be on the bridge, not only to witness it but also to see the reactions of those stationed there. This, to her, was a momentous occasion, and she didn't want to miss it.
The door to the turbo lift opened, and Addison stepped onto the bridge. She moved to where she could have a good point of view of the viewscreen.
"Good Morning!" she greeted those there. Addison giving a bit of a smile.
Wyatt had been in his office preparing to run a diagnostic when he was summoned. He took the turbolift to the bridge, tugging at his uniform jacket as he stepped through the doors, hissing shut behind him.
For yet another time, the turbolift doors opened, producing another officer. M’Ressa quickly moved to her station and settled into the chair, coiling her tail underneath. This was going to be the first time she’d deliberately taken a ship through time, and Inspite of all of her recent training, she still felt extremely nervous while at the same time excited for the opportunity. Once her station received the all clear from engineering, she turned to the Captain, “helm ready, heading?”
Thorrin looked around the Bridge and observed everyone at their positions. His usual genial demeanor changed to one that had a mix of business. The tension was thick enough that you could cut it with a knife and Thorrin knew it. He figured that it was the tension that came with the unknown, after all they launched a timeship. However, there was more to it the tension here was that this mission was personal for a lot of the crew, there was an entire civilization at stake. If we can keep everyone's minds on their jobs for the time being we can get this thing going. He thought as he looked around. "Right... Now that we are all at the party lets make sure we have the invites shall we. Conn are we go or no go?"
M'Ressa nodded eagerly, “we’re a go captain, helm standing by”
"Temporal Mechanics go or no go?" Thorrin continued."
"It looks like there's a slight variance in temporal stresses upon the hull. But, I've rearranged our shields and structural integrity field to negate it. So, we are a go for the moment," Tarian said with a smile.
"Very well Commander. Keep an eye on the target and standby for launch." Thorrin replied and then continued the checklist. "Science how is everything looking?" Thorrin continued.
"Looks good, Captain," Juli replied with her usual youthful vigor. She felt alert and ready to go.
Thorrin prided himself on thinking ahead of the mission and himself. "Lieutenant Juli please do some research on time travel without the use of a temporal drive. I would like to have something ready in case the mission goes south."
The science officer glanced over at the Captain. She masked her surprise at the last minute research request. A heads up would have been nice. Of course she had been researching time travel since she was assigned to this project, but with the technology on the ship hadn't been expected to be called on to put the methods to use so soon.
"Sure, Captain," she replied. Her voice was steady, but it lacked the enthusiasm from before. However, she was an officer and often did her best work under pressure. "I know most methods require pristine calculations. Precision." Juli took a soft glance over at the new Vulcan engineer. He scared her a little, but understood that he was brilliant - a savant.
Juli turned back to the Captain and gave him a confident nod, "But, I think we have the team to pull it off."
"I know we do. Always good to have a backup plan especially when time is involved. It takes a little extra to keep the timeline guessing." Thorrin's reply to the Science Chief was meant to be cryptic. He often referred to the timeline as a living breathing being. In Thorrin's opinion everyone should look at it that way.
Thorrin continued the check ins. "Engineering go or no go?"
Sivek did not wish to answer immediately. He was looking at the temporal core schematic and its layered containment rings. While Tarian was entirely responsible for the plotting and execution of the jump, the distribution of power and how the core is integrated with key ship systems fell under Sivek's purview.
Based on his station's readouts, all appeared well--chroniton injectors were cycling in perfect rhythm, power flowed through the distribution framework in clean lines. There was even a slight surplus to in main power.
Somewhere deep below the bridge, something in the core breathed and Sivek could almost feel it through his fingertips. It was the temporal core aligning itself while the remaining ship's systems balanced on the edge of mathematics.
"We are operating within optimal parameters," he said at last to Thorrin. "Temporal core containment remains stable at ninety-nine point nine six percent efficiency. Chroniton flux harmonics are fully synchronized with navigational targeting."
There was a slight pause as Sivek's attention was drawn to an pulsing orange triangle at the far edge of the power distribution network display.
"There is minimal variance," he added.
He considered the flashing warning and made a mental note to find the source of the variance at a future time. Fortunately, it was not--at present--a problem.
Raising his voice slightly, he delivered his final report.
"Engineering registers no impediments to proceed."
"Excellent! Kindly keep an eye on the power fluctuations. I would hate to end up in a minute that we should not be in." Thorrin responded to his Engineer.
"Tactical? What about you?" Thorrin turned toward the tactical station next to his ready room.
Hastios didn’t look up immediately. His eyes were moving across layered tactical overlays — defensive grids tied into chronal shielding, internal security status mapped against temporal variance projections, automated response matrices standing ready should something arrive where it should not.
He adjusted a single parameter, locking shield modulation into sync with the temporal core’s harmonic cycle.
“Tactical is green,” he reported evenly. “Defensive systems aligned with temporal envelope. Weapons standing by. Internal security teams at heightened readiness.”
It was at this point that Thorrin realized for the first time that the Doctor had arrived on the Bridge. "Doctor Talbert, I see you have joined us for this auspicious occasion. I trust everything in Sick Bay is ready this adventure. Are you a go or no go?"
With an amused smile, Addison replied. "Everything is in readiness for the journey, Captain. And it is a go from me."
She was looking forward to this; it was a new experience, and this also gave her a firsthand look at how the crew would be reacting to jumping into the time stream. Honestly, she mused, how would it affect her too? Would she get dizzy, or, due to the nature of the ship, would they not suffer from slipping into the stream?
Thorrin turned toward the front and his XO. "Finally, Commander Sandoval, go or no go. How goes the rest of the crew?"
Marisa double-checked everything on her console and nodded. "The crew says go," she replied. Everything looked good, and she couldn't help smiling a little. "We are green to go, sir."
Thorrin smiled. As much as time travel pained him, as it pained many El Aurians, he loved it. "Right, Lieutenant M'Ressa, kindly take us out of orbit and clear the Kroat system under impulse power.
“Aye, Captain,” M’Ressa responded, swiveling back to her station and starting to dance her fingers over the console. “Course set, full impulse.” She reported that she used a burst from the impulse engines with the planet's gravity to kick them out of orbit and out into the system.
The Herodotus proceeded under impulse speed to the border of the Kroat System. This had the benefit of being out of the general scanning range of most ships in the area. During this short travel time, the bridge had been silent as it seemed that people waited with bated breath for things to continue. Finally, Thorrin broke the silence as he looked toward his Temporal station. "Commander Aloria, are the numbers good?"
Tarian nodded as he turned back to his station, checking in on the temporal controls. Information was coming through as he did some final calculations to make sure that the drive, the ship, and the crew herself would make it safely through their first temporal jump safe and sound. He adjusted a phase variance by a fractional margin, watching as the displacement equations tightened up.
"Temporal drive is primed and ready to engage," he reported in, his voice steady and focused on the task at hand. "Chroniton injections are synched with navigational array and the displacement manifolds are holding at 99.98% stability," Tarian continued as he worked on his controls for a moment longer before he continued, "I've compensated for residual gravimetric distortion from the localized space to make sure our insertion window is a clean as we can make it."
Tarian turned back to the Captain and said, "The threshold is as balanced as we are going to get it in this area of space. Once we call up Black Alert, we can initiate the time-jump and head to where we need to go. All temporal safeguards are standing by."
"Well then, Lieutenant Spencer, kindly go to Black Alert," Thorrin spoke as he swiveled to face the Ops Chief.
The communication specialist nodded. 'Aye, going to Black Alert now," he replied.
The lights on the bridge turned off for the briefest of moments. Dimmed lighting, along with black lighting, was turned on. All the consoles read a small insignia that stated black alert. Thorrin pushed a button on the small console next to his chair. "Now hear this, this is the Captain speaking. We are on black alert; an incursion is imminent. Take Black Alert stations and await further orders." He sat in silence for a moment and sighed. "Is everyone ready to go through the looking glass?" The question was more of a rhetorical one, and with Thorrin's accent, it seemed to lighten some of the tension.
Marisa stayed outwardly calm, but she was eager to watch the process. Knowing and going were not always the same thing.
Black Alert had washed the bridge in an odd shadow, as though every face and station were cauterized. The light carved sharp angles from Sivek's face and turned his reflection in the console into someone slightly unfamiliar. It was a version of himself he wasn't quite ready for.
He monitored the chroniton flow, watching the numbers rise and fall. It was astonishing how after so many years of studying this theory, modeling it, simulating it, publishing on all aspects of it, here he was taking part in an actual temporal incursion.
Sivek noted a fractional increase of his pulse--it was that part of him that was annoyingly human. He knew it was part of a natural response that had nothing to do with fear. It was more likely anticipation. But it felt... luminous. To step through time by intention rather than by some accident made it feel elegant. A dangerous elegance, to be sure. Yet it was something he desired.
Redoubling his focus on his station, he noted another minute variance in power flow but it was far from being anything considered worrying.
"Black alert," Addison repeated quietly to herself. She could feel goosebumps run up and down her arms as she listened to Thorrin's voice, his buttery-smooth inflections adding to the effect. It was rather dramatic.
"I think I forgot--" she paused for a moment, then chuckled. "Nevermind, I am in blue. I feel like Alice getting ready to go through the looking glass."
"Major Eilfaren activate the Chronal Jammer and raise the shields. Lieutenant M'Ressa set a course for this date and this time. Universal coordinates 3-3-4-9-6-9. One thousand years in the past. Engage temporal drive when ready." Thorrin called as his fingers coiled tightly around his armrests. He knew that this was the moment that anything could go wrong, and the moment when the temporal headache got the worst.
Thorrin took the severity of the moment in. This was the first time jump for this crew, and the first time they would be going into a mission together. All at once his demeanor changed, a rare smile came across his face. "Let us see what lays between the tics shall we."
Inputting the temporal coordinates, M’Ressa waited for the computer to confirm before she gripped her console, “here we go. Engaging temporal drive” she said as she pushed the ship into the web, her slit eyes widening to large black circles as she tracked their path through the various threads of time. Unlike warp travel, the view screen was filled with ribbons of energy twisting and turning before them.
There was a small hum as energy built up in the temporal array. In a moment a bright teal colored beam shot forward from the second deflector dish on the front of the Herodotus. The beam opened a rift and the ship glided through it. The vessel disappeared from normal space, and from time.
The ship passed from normal space and into the realm between time. For those who looked out the window and those who looked at the viewscreen the area that the ship was in now seemed to be a myriad of tubes. Tubes that intersected and ran into nothing and everything all at once. "Behold all of time and space..." Thorrin whispered.
As the temporal drive engaged, Hastios remained at his station, shoulders squared and unmoving while the universe outside the viewscreen dissolved into something far stranger than stars.
The teal flare of the deflector beam washed across the bridge, followed by the sensation — subtle but unmistakable — of passing through a boundary that was not meant to be crossed lightly. The stars stretched, fractured, and reformed into luminous strands twisting in impossible geometries. It was not space in any traditional sense. It felt structured. Layered. Alive in a way that made even a seasoned tactical officer aware of his own smallness within it.
He did not comment.
His focus remained on the tactical grid as it recalibrated against chronal drift, shield harmonics adjusting in quiet synchrony with the temporal envelope. Numbers held steady. No unexpected incursions. No secondary signatures sharing their corridor.
Only then did he allow himself a brief glance upward at the impossible lattice of time unfolding before them.
A Joint Post By:
Captain Thorrin
Commanding Officer
USS Herodotus DTI-30656
Lieutenant C'Mila Juli
Chief Science Officer
USS Herodotus DTI-30656
Lieutenant Addison Talbert
Chief Medical Officer
USS Herodotus DTI-30656
Lieutenant Commander Tarian Aloria
Chief Temporal Operations Officer
USS Herodotus DTI-30656
Commander Marisa Sandoval
Executive Officer
USS Herodotus DTI-30656
Lieutenant Sivek
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Herodotus DTI-30656
Major Hastios Eilfaren
Chief Security & Tactical Officer
Second Officer
USS Herodotus DTI-30656
Lieutenant Junior Grade Wyatt Spencer
Chief Operations Officer
Communications Officer
USS Herodotus DTI-30656
Lieutenant Junior Grade M'Ressa
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Herodotus DTI-30656
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